Discovering ADHD: Stories from Backyard Brunch

Episode 1: How We Discovered Our ADHD

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 00:27:15 -0400

The sisters and GenXers, introduce their podcast centered around their late diagnosis of ADHD. Their journey into the world of ADHD began when Heidi's daughter was diagnosed, prompting both to reflect on their own symptoms and struggles, leading to their eventual late diagnoses. They touch upon the challenges of growing up undiagnosed, like difficulty with focus and self-care, and the additional conditions that often accompany ADHD.

Episode 2: Fear, People Pleasing, and Goth

Mon, 15 Apr 2024 06:58:47 -0400

Gen X sisters, menopausal phase, discuss their newly diagnosed ADHD and share their experiences of utilizing fear as a motivator. They reminisce about their childhood, highlighting different coping mechanisms. The conversation delves into topics like feeling misunderstood, ADHD in relation to goth culture, and different perspectives on behavioral issues. The sisters aim to uplift and support women dealing with undiagnosed ADHD, emphasizing the importance of seeking help and community.

Episode 3: Coincidental Physical Effects of ADHD

Wed, 01 May 2024 06:00:00 -0400

This episode touches on the importance of recognizing ADHD in both children and adults, its impact on family dynamics, and the struggles of managing daily life and health issues such as orthodontia decisions for Heidi's daughter, Grace. Through laughter and tears, they explore the interconnectedness of ADHD with physical health issues like sensory sensitivities, orthodontic needs, and postural concerns. They also delve into broader topics like genetics, early childhood development, and the importance of understanding ADHD's influence on their lives and the lives of children. The sisters aim to offer comfort and camaraderie to other women going through similar experiences.

Episode 4: Lying, Mental Load, and a Golden Girls/Barbie Tangent

Wed, 15 May 2024 22:35:11 -0400

Uncover the hidden truths of living with ADHD in our latest podcast episode. From misunderstood behaviors to coping mechanisms, we shed light on the realities many face. Let's spread awareness and support each other in this journey. #ADHDawareness #RealTalk

Episode 5: Hormones, Hypermobility, and Squirrel!

Sat, 01 Jun 2024 17:29:02 -0400

Heidi Faucette and her sister Heather, both Gen Xers newly diagnosed with ADHD during the pandemic and undergoing menopause, share their weekend backyard conversations in Brooklyn. They discuss the interplay between estrogen levels, ADHD, and menopause, reflecting on their emotional struggles and physical symptoms like anxiety, brain fog, and body imbalances. They emphasize the importance of self-care, the challenges of living with ADHD, and the support systems they've found beneficial. The podcast aims to offer comfort and insights for women navigating similar experiences.

Episode 6: Grief, Gratitude, and Growth

Sat, 15 Jun 2024 20:01:47 -0400

This episode discusses the emotional impact of being diagnosed with ADHD later in life, particularly the grief from realizing how different one's life could have been with an earlier diagnosis. It highlights the challenges faced by quiet girls with ADHD, who are often overlooked, and the cycle of misdiagnosis passed down through generations. The narrative explores socioeconomic struggles, mental illness, and the difficulties of providing a stable environment for children. It touches on personal anecdotes of overcoming hardships, going to college as non-traditional students, and dealing with imposter syndrome in the corporate world. The episode also delves into the struggle of finding meaningful work and the journey towards self-discovery and professional fulfillment.

Episode 7: Perception, Shyness, and Spoons

Mon, 01 Jul 2024 12:00:00 -0400

Heidi Faucette and her sister Heather discuss their recent diagnoses and impacts. They reflect on their experiences with ADHD in their daily lives, the challenges of growing up undiagnosed, and the societal expectations on neurodiverse individuals. They highlight the importance of understanding ADHD beyond the deficit and disorder labels, advocating for recognition and inclusion. Conversations in the podcast range from personal anecdotes, mental health struggles, coping mechanisms, and their journey to embracing their neurodiverse identities.

Episode 8: Hair Fidgets, Rejection Sensitive Dysphoria, and Crows!

Mon, 15 Jul 2024 19:32:48 -0400

In this podcast episode, Heidi Faucette and her sister Heather, both GenXers experiencing menopause, discuss their recent ADHD diagnoses. They recount their weekend backyard discussions in Brooklyn during the pandemic, exploring the impact of ADHD on their lives, reflecting on personal stories, and expressing the grief felt over the delays in their diagnosis. The conversation covers their struggles with hair-picking due to ADHD, sensitivity to rejection, motivation challenges, and the parallels between their experiences and those of others. They aim to support and connect with other women who may also be recognizing the late onset of their ADHD symptoms. They encourage listeners to share their own thoughts by emailing them and conclude the episode with future plans for home improvement projects.

Episode 9: Empathy for M&Ms and Google Tab ADHD

Mon, 05 Aug 2024 21:37:35 -0400

Hosts Heidi and Heather share their journey of being newly diagnosed with ADHD in their candid podcast. They explore living with ADHD through the lens of empathy, memory, and emotional experiences with topics ranging from childhood habits to extreme empathy and its implications. They discuss the challenges of adapting to life with ADHD, including emotional sensitivity and the difficulty of fitting into a neurotypical world, ultimately aiming to support and uplift women facing similar struggles.

Episode 10: Flaking on Plans, Exercise, and Collecting Hobbies

Sat, 17 Aug 2024 16:42:58 -0400

In this episode, Heidi and Heather discuss their experiences, challenges, and discoveries related to their condition. They reflect on topics such as anticipatory anxiety, social anxiety, the impacts of ADHD on their social lives and relationships, as well as the common tendency to abandon hobbies and projects. They aim to support and uplift women dealing with undiagnosed ADHD by sharing their own stories and struggles, hoping to provide comfort and a sense of community. Additionally, they touch upon how ADHD affects job retention and the feelings of guilt and inadequacy that often accompany these experiences.

Episode 11: Eye Contact, Society, and Physical Pain

Sun, 01 Sep 2024 17:05:19 -0400

In this episode, Heidi and Heather share their backyard conversations in Brooklyn, emphasizing how eye contact can be challenging for people with ADHD and social anxiety. The discussion delves into societal expectations of eye contact, the internal versus external focus during conversations, and personal anecdotes about handling social interactions. They aim to support and uplift women dealing with undiagnosed ADHD, encouraging them to share their experiences and find comfort in knowing they are not alone.

Episode 12: Smoking, Spelling, and Standard Deviation Reassessment?

Tue, 17 Sep 2024 17:37:29 -0400

Heidi and her sister Heather, newly diagnosed with ADHD, share their backyard discussions in Brooklyn. They explore the impact of ADHD on their lives, recount personal stories, and reflect on their childhood challenges. The sisters discuss societal expectations, such as eye contact, and introduce a study on parental smoking and ADHD risk. They touch on their personal experiences with ADHD-related challenges like spelling and writing. The podcast provides support and aims to help others recognize and cope with undiagnosed ADHD.

Episode 13: Weird Words, Routines, and Music

Wed, 02 Oct 2024 11:00:00 -0400

In this episode, Heidi Faucette and her sister Heather discuss their experiences managing ADHD as newly diagnosed adults. They reflect on the changes in their sleep patterns, particularly the struggle with shifted circadian rhythms common in ADHD individuals. The conversation touches on the challenges of establishing daily routines, including hygiene and medication adherence. They share personal anecdotes about their strategies for differentiating homophones like 'there' and 'their,' and the pervasive scarcity mindset stemming from past trauma. Additionally, they explore the impact of ADHD on Heidi’s daughter's routine and the use of music to aid concentration.

Episode 14: Boundaries, Playfulness, and Sensitivity

Tue, 15 Oct 2024 22:22:24 -0400

In this informal and heartfelt conversation, Heidi and Heather explore the complexities of setting boundaries with ADHD. They discuss people-pleasing tendencies, imposter syndrome, and the impact on their professional and personal lives. Reflecting on childhood experiences of sensitivity and trauma, they also share lighter moments, such as observing snails in the backyard. Additionally, the discussion covers the challenges of late ADHD diagnoses in women, the formation of a support group for late-diagnosed women, and highlights community-building efforts. The conversation emphasizes the importance of recognizing ADHD symptoms in women and offering support to those diagnosed later in life.

Episode 15: Gen X ADHD Parenting Gen Alpha ADHD

Tue, 05 Nov 2024 21:03:40 -0500

In this episode, Heidi Faucette discusses the complex intersection of being a mom with ADHD and raising a child with ADHD. Heidi shares her personal challenges with maintaining self-care routines and instilling these habits in her daughter, Grace, who also struggles with ADHD. The episode delves into specific issues like hygiene, fear of bowel movements, and lack of balance, explaining how these may stem from ADHD. Heidi recounts advice from a pediatrician, including setting schedules and utilizing tools like Alexa for reminders, and describes her efforts to improve her daughter’s balance and posture with suggested exercises. She speaks candidly about the difficulties of being a role model and the shared struggles between her and her daughter. Ultimately, the episode aims to offer support to other mothers facing similar challenges.

Episode 16: Gen Alpha's Take on ADHD: Embracing Unique Thinking

Sat, 16 Nov 2024 18:42:59 -0500

In this episode, hosts Heidi and Heather break from their usual format to conduct interviews with individuals who have ADHD. The first guest is Heidi's daughter, Grace. They discuss Grace's recent experiences with ADHD medications, her unique ways of thinking, and the various symptoms and challenges associated with ADHD, such as lack of focus, time management issues, and emotional impulsivity. The conversation also touches on comorbid conditions like anxiety and sensory processing issues. Grace shares her perspectives on school, social interactions, and coping mechanisms, providing a personal glimpse into living with ADHD.

Episode 17: From Self-Medicating to Self-Discovery

Thu, 12 Dec 2024 21:37:08 -0500

In this episode Heidi and Heather switch from their typical backyard discussions to interviews, this one with Heidi's best friend Rachel, who also has ADHD. Rachel discusses her late diagnosis, coinciding with her journey to sobriety in 2013. The conversation covers the interplay between ADHD, substance abuse, and other comorbidities like anxiety, depression, and OCD. They also touch on the impact of ADHD on daily life, and the ways ADHD can manifest as both a challenge and a superpower. Rachel shares insights on how ADHD has influenced her career, her coping mechanisms, and the emotional growth she has experienced through sobriety.

Episode 18: The ADHD/OCD Battle, Water Sensitivity, and “Boreture”

Fri, 03 Jan 2025 13:35:30 -0500

In this episode, Heidi continues her conversation with best friend Rachel, discussing the complexities of ADHD and its interaction with OCD. The duo shares personal anecdotes about ADHD symptoms like impulsivity, hyperfocus, and sensory sensitivities, as well as the challenges of maintaining hygiene and managing compulsions. They delve into their struggles with executive function and share surprising ADHD manifestations, such as experiencing physical pain when bored and sensitivity to the taste of water. The conversation is a mix of humor, personal reflection, and a deeper understanding of ADHD and other comorbidities. Their candid discussion aims to highlight the often overlooked aspects of living with ADHD as adults.

Episode 19: Synesthesia, Tics, and AI

Sun, 19 Jan 2025 22:35:55 -0500

In this episode, Heidi continues her interview with her best friend, Rachel, diving deep into topics like sensory processing disorder, ADHD, and associated comorbidities. They share personal experiences with sensory stimuli, motor and verbal tics, and the challenges of undiagnosed ADHD. The conversation also touches on broader issues such as how ADHD manifests differently in people, the connection between neurodivergence and creativity, and the potential of emerging technology and AI to revolutionize individualized learning and treatment.